K SPECIAL VA - The Official UK Top 50 Singles Chart: 07 January 1973 - 13 January 1973 (50th Anniversary 2023 Remastered Expanded Edition) [1973] (3 x CDs)

 

K SPECIAL

VA - The Official UK Top 50 Singles Chart: 07 January 1973 - 13 January 1973 (50th Anniversary 2023 Remastered Expanded Edition) [1973] (3 x CDs)

A new 12-part series to kick off the New Year.

1973 was a stellar year for music, particularly in the UK where so many great singles were released, and a perfect opportunity to celebrate 50 years since so many legendary songs graced the charts. Acts like David Bowie, Gary Glitter, the Sweet, Slade, the Carpenters and Wizzard would have the best chart years of their careers. Teenybop stuff was alive and well with David Cassidy and The Osmonds peaking. Plus, lots of new acts like Mud, David Essex, Suzi Quatro, Medicine Head and, erm, Barry Blue came through. Tony Orlando and Dawn had the best-selling single of 1973 with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", which spent four weeks at the top spot and lasted 11 weeks in the top 10. Slade became the first act to have three singles enter the UK charts at number-one; "Cum On Feel the Noize", "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", and "Merry Xmas Everybody" (which also became the year's Christmas number-one single).

The glam-rock group had two further singles in the UK top 10 this year. They also reached number two in October with their single "My Friend Stan". They had five entries in total this year but this included "Gudbuy T'Jane" from the latter part of 1972. Another glam-rock band who made it big in 1973 was Wizzard, fronted by Roy Wood. Wood had previously achieved chart success a member of both The Move and Electric Light Orchestra. Wizzard scored four top 10 singles during the year, which included the number-one hits "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers", as well as their Christmas classic "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", which peaked at number four for four consecutive weeks.  10cc achieved the first of their three UK number-one singles in June of this year with "Rubber Bullets", which spent one week at the top spot. They also reached number ten in September with "The Dean and I".

One-hundred and twenty-eight singles were in the top ten in 1973. Eight singles from 1972 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "The Show Must Go On" by Leo Sayer and "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul were both released in 1973 but did not reach their peak until 1974. "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues, "Shotgun Wedding" by Roy C and "Solid Gold Easy Action" by T. Rex were the singles from 1972 to reach their peak in 1973. Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1973. David Essex, Leo Sayer, Marie Osmond, Mud and Wizzard were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1973.   The 1972 Christmas number-one, "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond, remained at number-one for the first three weeks of 1973. The first new number-one single of the year was "Block Buster!" by The Sweet. Overall, seventeen different singles peaked at number-one in 1973, with Slade (3) having the most singles hit that position. 

Twenty-nine artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1973. Donny Osmond secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1973 with six hit singles. He scored three top 10 entries in 1973 as a solo artist, with "The Twelfth of Never" and "Young Love" both reaching number-one, and "When I Fall in Love" peaking at number four in November. His sister Marie made her top 10 debut in November with the number two hit "Paper Roses". Donny's total was boosted to six by his participation on The Osmonds recordings. The family group scored two top 10 entries in 1973 with "Going Home", which peaked at number four in July and "Let Me In", which peaked at number two in November. Their number two hit from November 1972, "Crazy Horses", remained in the top 10 for the first three weeks of 1973.   David Bowie peaked in the top 10 with five singles in 1973. He reached number two in January with "The Jean Genie", while "Drive In Saturday", "Life on Mars" and "Sorrow" all peaked at number three.  His single "The Laughing Gnome", originally released in 1967, also entered the top 10, reaching number six in October. Little Jimmy Osmond had two individual entries, including "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" from 1972 and his

number four single "Tweedle Dee" in April, as well as being a part of The Osmonds collective. David Cassidy and Gary Glitter scored four top 10 entries in 1973. The Partridge Family singer David Cassidy had two hit singles as part of the group - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" at number nine and "Walking in the Rain" peaking at number ten - as well as the number one hit "Daydreamer"/"The Puppy Song", and "I am a Clown"/"Some Kind of a Summer" which reached number three. Gary Glitter's first two entries, "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again", both peaked at number two, while

the remaining two, "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "I Love You Love Me Love", both spent four weeks at number-one.

Solo artists Suzi Quatro, Barry Blue and David Essex all made their top 10 debut in 1973, and all three scored a second entry later in the year. Suzi Quatro made her top 10 debut in May with "Can the Can", which spent a week at number-one in June, while "48 Crash" peaked at number three in August. Barry Blue made his top 10 debut in August with "Dancing on a Saturday Night", which peaked at number two, while "Do You Wanna Dance" reached number seven in November. David Essex made his top 10 debut in September with "Rock On", which peaked at number three, while "Lamplight" reached number seven in December. The Sweet had three top-ten entries, among these chart-topper "Block Buster!". The other artists with three top 10 singles were 10cc, Elton John, Paul McCartney, T. Rex and Wings.  Gilbert O'Sullivan was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Get Down". Alice Cooper, The Carpenters, The Partridge Family, Rod Stewart, Roxy Music and Status Quo were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1973.

Here is the first part of my month by month series featuring classic top 50 UK singles charts from selected weeks. I say 'expanded', because a few singles here were double 'A' sides, so both tracks have been included, now creating a 53 track set. BBC Radio 1 also introduced a brand new logo in 1973 which is featured on the cover art above.

This 3CD set contains many rare and extremely hard to find tracks, with many featured in their original 7" single form. A few tracks have never been released on CD and are the original vinyl rips digitally edited and cleaned up in Audacity.  Only the original studio mixes are included. No later remixes, 'stereo enhanced' or live versions here (unless the officially released track was indeed a live version)!  Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters (where available), with a considerable amount of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.

I hope you enjoy this new series and get the opportunity to revisit old favourites and long forgotten hits.

https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19730107/7501/

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Track lists

CD1

01 Little Jimmy Osmond Long Haired Lover from Liverpool 2:13

02 David Bowie The Jean Genie (Original 1972 7" Single Mix) 4:05

03 T. Rex Solid Gold Easy Action 2:22

04 The Osmonds Crazy Horses 2:30

05 Paul Mccartney & Wings Hi, Hi, Hi 3:09

06 Paul Mccartney & Wings C Moon 4:36

07 Wizzard Ball Park Incident 3:41

08 Carly Simon You're So Vain 4:18

09 Judge Dread Big Seven 3:21

10 Slade Gudbuy T'Jane 3:33

11 Elvis Presley Always on My Mind 3:38

12 Roy "c" Shotgun Wedding 2:17

13 Michael Jackson Ben 2:45

14 The Moody Blues Nights in White Satin (Original 1967 7" Stereo Single Version) 4:24

15 Chuck Berry My Ding-a-Ling (Original 1972 Live 7" Single Edit) 4:16

16 John Lennon And Yoko Ono, The Plastic Ono Band With The Harlem Community Choir Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 3:35

17 The Sweet Block Buster! 3:12

18 Donny Osmond Why 2:46

CD2

19 Gladys Knight & The Pips Help Me Make It Through the Night 4:21

20 Lieutenant Pigeon Desperate Dan 2:43

21 Elton John Crocodile Rock 3:56

22 Cat Stevens Can't Keep It In 2:59

23 The Pipes & Drums & Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Little Drummer Boy 3:13

24 Lynsey De Paul Getting a Drag 3:09

25 The New Seekers Come Softly to Me 2:10

26 Blue Mink Stay with Me 3:18

27 Free Wishing Well 3:35

28 Gilbert O'Sullivan Clair 3:02

29 Rod Stewart Angel 4:06

30 Rod Stewart What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me) 2:51

31 David Cassidy Rock Me Baby 3:31

32 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes If You Don't Know Me by Now 3:24

33 Chairmen Of The Board I'm on My Way to a Better Place 4:05

34 The Jackson 5 Lookin' Through the Windows 3:37

35 The Who Relay 3:55

36 The Four Tops Keeper of the Castle 2:55

CD3

37 Judge Dread Big Six 2:59

38 Blackfoot Sue Sing Don't Speak 3:38

39 The Temptations Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Original 1972 7" Single Edit) 6:58

40 Strawbs Lay Down (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:34

41 Dandy Livingstone Big City 2:37

42 Dandy Livingstone Think About That 2:50

43 Status Quo Paper Plane 2:59

44 Lieutenant Pigeon Mouldy Old Dough 2:44

45 Billy Paul Me and Mrs. Jones (Original 1972 7" Single Version) 3:41

46 Dick Emery You Are Awful (But I Like You) 3:01

47 Jeff Beck Hi Ho Silver Lining 2:53

48 Geordie Don't Do That 3:13

49 Ken Dodd Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms) 2:46

50 Terry Dactyl And The Dinosaurs On a Saturday Night 2:30

51 The Shangri-las Leader of the Pack (Original 1964 7" Mono Single Version) 2:50

52 Chris Montez Let's Dance (Original 1962 7" Stereo Single Version) 2:27

53 Olivia Newton-John Take Me Home Country Roads 3:22

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